The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Friday, February 26, 2016

In this encore from 2010, Looney Tunes joins the war effort as Porky Pig and Egbert the dog hunt down Missing Lynx, a Nutzy Spy. I especially like the visual pun on the song "Hallelujah, I'm A Bum." From the Internet Archive, the 1942 animated short, Confusions of a Nutzy Spy.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night. Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter. Lesson by Pip and Ruth with music by DJ Ruth.

Monday, February 22, 2016

February 22, 1934: A Depression-weary American public flocks to Frank Capra’s screwball comedy It Happened One Night, starring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable.February 27, 1934: A lawsuit against MGM’s Rasputin and the Empress results in the now-familiar “The events and characters in this film are fictional…” disclaimer.February 23, 1935: Cowboy Gene Autry saddles up in his first starring role, headlining the unusual sci-fi/western serial The Phantom Empire.February 27, 1935: It Happened One Night makes Academy Award history by taking Best Picture, Actor, Actress and Director.

I thought the second item, about the "events and characters in this film are fictional . . ." disclaimer, particularly interesting. Those disclaimers are still in modern movies, but way at the end of the credits and in small print. In the 1930's, they were much more prominent, but then again, a lot of the credits were more prominent then. The disclaimer, however, apparently became the source of some humor, because you would see it as a gag in some cartoons from the era.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Here is another great Saturday morning TV classic from my youth. A travelling magician gets cross-wise with our hero Bugs, and you can probably guess the rest. From the Internet Archive, here is the 1942 Warner Bros. short, Case Of The Missing Hare.

Last Thursday, I posted about a comic book hero based on the Bible's story of Samson. Today, we have the other main character from that story, Delilah. Specifically, here is Hedy Lamarr dressed as the leading lady from the 1949 film, Samson and Delilah, posted on Film Noir Photos.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night with live music from the Jeremy Shrader Quartet. Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. and $7 admission. Lesson by Todd and Josey.Dress like you are going out!

Friday, February 12, 2016

I just started following a blog called The Swing Slate. In looking through some recent postings, I found this little gem that is perfect for a Friday afternoon cartoon post. "All The Cats Join In" was a tune written and performed by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra. Disney incorporated the tune into an animated short that was released in 1946 as part of an anthology film called Make Mine Music, consisting of ten unrelated musical shorts. Think Fantasia with popular music rather than classical. Featuring hep cats and kittens, bobby socks, a jalopy, a malt shop and a juke box, here is "All The Cats Join In."

Thursday, February 11, 2016

I have seen and posted about a wide variety of comic heroes, with an equally wide variety of origins, but as far as I can remember, this is the first time I found a hero (or rather two) based on the Bible. Like his Old Testament namesake, this Samson is super strong, and his power lies in his long hair. Unlike his biblical counterpart, however, this Samson can fly, and regrow his hair at will. Posted on Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine, here is a 1941 issue of Samson and David, fighting Nazis before the U.S. was even in the war.

The diminutive septet in the Brothers Grimm original tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs did not have individual names. When Walt Disney released the animated version of the story in 1937, he corrected that omission with Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy and Sneezy. As MovieFanFare informed me, however, there were a bunch of other potential dwarf names that were rejected, including Awful, Burpy, Chesty, Dizzy, Hotsy, etc.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night. Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter. Lesson by Phil and Erin with music by DJ Phil.

Today's Sunrise Serenade, while perhaps not technically "Swing," could fall into the category of "Western Swing," and was definitely popular music in the late 1940's. It was "Pecos Bill" by Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers from the 1948 Disney film, Melody Time. Click on the song title to listen courtesy of Jazz On Line.

Monday, February 8, 2016

As this post on Dull Tool Dim Bulb points out, Sam Shere was the photographer who captured the iconic image of the Hindenburg exploding in Lakehurst, N.J. in 1937 (see below). A few years later, he was taking pictures of other photographers, specifically, women photographers in nightclubs (above) who had replaced their male counterparts called to service in WW2.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Here is a comic book version of one of my favorite characters, Simon Templar, a/k/a "The Saint." Played on film by George Sanders, Roger Moore and Val Kilmer; I recently heard a radio show version with Vincent Price in the title role. Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine posted this comic from 1949.

The National World War II Museum is engaged in a project to restore a WC-9 Field Ambulance named "Charity." The goal is to make the vehicle resemble one that would have been used by Allied forces in Italy during 1943. Photographs of the ongoing restoration, and a sound clip of the engine running are available on the museum's blog post.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

The Red Hot Lindy Hop lesson and session continues at the Rumba Room this Friday night. Free beginner lesson at 7:00 p.m. Free admission before 7:00 and $5 thereafter. Lesson by Jason and Monica with music by DJ Monica.

Each movie features a star along with another star, and the other star is also in the movie that follows it, and so on and so on. So, by the time the 31 Days of Oscar, the final movie shown on March 2 will have a star in common with the 1st movie shown on February 1.